Focus groups for money pay participants to discuss products and services.
We’ll guide you on how to find these opportunities and what to expect during the sessions.
Best Sites for Focus Groups
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is one of the most popular online market research companies that will reward you for sharing your opinion. The company uses your feedback to help businesses improve their products and services. While Survey Junkie is mainly a survey website, there are also occasional focus groups opportunities.
| Earning Opportunity | Job Scope | Earning Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| Product Testing | Test a product and share your opinion | Up to $50 per product |
| Focus Groups | Participate in an in-person study | Up to $150 per hour |
| Phone Surveys | Answer research questions over the phone | Up to $100 per survey |
Nonetheless, these other opportunities tend to be rarer. Thus, keep an eye out for them to maximize your earnings on the platform.
Survey Junkie Summary
- $0.50-$3 average earnings per survey
- Extra points if you screened out of survey
- Additional ways to earn up to $150
- Install Survey Junkie extension for bonus
- Low payout threshold of $5
- Variety of surveys
Respondent
Respondent is a platform that offers the highest-paying focus group opportunities. You can stand to earn up to $700 per hour by sharing your opinions about various market research topics. The platform caters primarily to professionals in various industries, and your earnings will vary depending on your professional qualifications.
| Profession | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Software developers | $200 per hour |
| Marketers | $150 per hour |
| Executives | $700 per hour |
| Enterprise software users | $150 per hour |
| Business owners | $500 per hour |
| Sales and support | $100 per hour |
When you sign up on the platform, the algorithm will match with focus groups suitable for you. You can also earn a $50 referral for every friend you invite to Respondent.
User Interviews
User Interviews features focus group opportunities from world-class companies, such as Adobe, Spotify, and Pinterest.
The platform features four main types of focus group opportunities:
- Focus groups
- 1-on-1 interviews
- Multiday studies
- Unmoderated tasks
To start earning money for participating in focus groups, simply create your account and find projects relevant to your interests. In general, you can make up to $100 per hour for y our participation in a focus group opportunity.
You can withdraw your earnings either via direct deposit or gift card.
Brand Institute
Brand Institute is a market research company that primarily caters to the healthcare and medical industry. If you work in these industries and want to participate in focus groups for money, you can join the platform as a focus group participant.
On average, you can earn up to $30 per medical survey, and you will need specialized knowledge to start answering them. You can receive your earnings via PayPal or check once you complete each survey.
In general, most of the surveys are online, although some might be in-person.
Engage
Engage is a platform that specializes in consumer and healthcare market research. If you are looking to participate in focus groups for money, Engage is one of the best platforms to do so.
You will need to provide some basic information about yourself when signing up for an account on the website. If you are a healthcare or medical professional, it can increase your chances of receiving focus group opportunities.
Focus Group
Focus Group is a market research company by Schlesinger Group that offers focus group opportunities. Businesses offer these opportunities to get feedback on their products and services.
You can participate in paid focus group opportunities on this platform online, over the phone, or in person at one of the informal focus group venues across the US. Each of these opportunities pays up to $250 per hour, enabling you to earn some extra cash in your free time.
You can cash out your earnings on the platform via a digital gift card.
Experience Dynamics
Experience Dynamics is a platform that focuses on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) testing. The company pays focus group participants to use various software and digital platforms before providing feedback on how these can be improved.
You can join the platform from anywhere around the world and participate in market research studies that pay between $50 to $150 each.
Some of the other earning opportunities that the platform offers include:
- Online surveys
- Online focus groups
- Phone interviews
- Field studies – 1-2 hour interviews at your home or work
- Diary studies – you record your opinion over 1-2 weeks
SIS International
SIS International is a company that helps businesses learn more about consumer opinions. The company works with many major brands, and there is thus a wide range of paid focus group studies you can participate in.
In addition, the platform also enables you to participate in focus groups online via Zoom or over the phone. Thus, you can join these opportunities from the comfort of your own home.
Moreover, you can also earn up to $250 per hour, making the platform a great choice for earning some extra cash in your free time.
FindFocusGroups.com
FindFocusGroups.com is an aggregator service that helps you find focus group opportunities near you within the US or online.
As the platform aggregates a great range of focus groups hosted by different companies, the rewards that you can earn from each opportunity will differ. Some companies will pay you cash, while others will send their products as compensation for sharing your opinion.
Google Usability
Google Usability is a market research program that will offer you rewards for sharing your opinion about the company’s products and services. You can earn up to $75 per hour by sharing your opinion.
Here are some steps that you can take to start earning rewards on Google Usability:
- First, sign up and complete a questionnaire so that Google can match you to relevant projects.
- Then Google will invite you to available studies taking place in the Google office, a research van, your home, or online.
- Once you complete a study, you will then receive your rewards.
However, one downside of Google Usability is that you cannot receive your earnings in cash. Nonetheless, you can still get a gift card or credit to donate to charity.
What is a Focus Group for Money?
A focus group is a form of market research in which a group of people are invited to sit down and answer various questions about the products and services they use. Companies can then use the information they gather from focus groups to improve their products and services.
Essentially, a focus group functions just like a survey, except that it tends to be on a larger scale. Focus groups are generally led by moderators, who ask focus group participants questions relevant to their research topic. The questions usually require participants to share their experiences or opinions about certain topics.
Traditionally, focus groups occur in person at round tables. Nonetheless, many modern focus groups can be conducted online over Zoom or on the phone.
How Much Do You Get Paid in Focus Groups?
How much you can earn with paid focus groups varies from research to research. In general, most focus groups pay between $100 to $200. Some focus groups can pay up to $700, although these tend to be more specialized and require you to be part of a certain demographic group.
Are Focus Group Jobs Legitimate?
While there are many legit focus group platforms, there are also some scam focus group opportunities.
Here are some tips that can help you identify whether a survey site is legit:
- Check the BBB – a legitimate survey company should be easy to find on the Better Business Bureau. BBB is a website that helps you identify legit companies. If the company has been accredited by BBB, it means they meet accreditation standards and are safe to deal with.
- Check if the company is affiliated with CASRO – The Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) is the leading market research organization. If the focus group platform you are considering is affiliated with CASRO, it is likely a legit platform.
- Do a quick Google search – if the market research company leading the focus group is legit, they will have an internet presence. You can also check out reviews from other users of the market research company to see if any users have flagged major issues with the platform.
How Do I Join a Focus Group and Get Paid?
To earn money by participating in focus groups, you can start by signing up for an account on a market research platform. This will enable you to browse the different focus group opportunities available for you to participate.
Before you participate in any focus group, it can be a good idea to check how much the opportunity will pay you. This way, you can spend your time participating in focus groups that pay the most, enabling you to maximize the amount of money you earn from focus groups.
What Are The Best Focus Group Websites?
Depending on your personal preferences, the best focus group website may differ. Many of these websites also have focus group opportunities from different companies. You can join multiple focus group websites at the same time to find the most suitable focus group opportunities that cater to your preferences.
Here are some of the best focus group websites you can join to earn money:
- Survey Junkie
- i-Say
- American Consumer Opinion
- Respondent
- User Interviews
